Connecticut College AI and the Liberal Arts Symposium

As artificial intelligence rapidly evolves, liberal arts institutions face a pressing challenge: how do we swiftly update our curricula to meet the demands of students, parents, and employers across nearly all academic domains? Traditional curriculum development can be slow, but the pace of AI requires agility. A solution is an underutilized resource: our students. They bring unique expertise and lived experiences that can drive curricular innovation.This presentation explores three distinct collaborative structures we implemented to partner students with faculty to develop and revise AI-related curricula.  We have successfully used these models to co-create curricular materials across disciplines, including creative writing, economics, sociology, cognitive science, and ethics. By leveraging these partnerships, institutions can design course materials that are deeply engaging to students, while allowing faculty to gain vital insights into how students actually interact with AI. When using this approach, both sides of the partnership benefit.  Faculty evolve their approach to AI, and students' involvement in curriculum development changes how they approach learning.